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"Let Your Light So Shine," Matthew 5:3-16

Matthew 5:3-16

These verses are ringing out in my ears this morning as a cry for repentance.

 Alma 60:23 - "...Remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also."

Revisiting these brief statements of hope, I paused on "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." The Savior doesn't offer much explanation on how this would happen or why or anything of the sort. But then I cross referenced footnotes until I arrived at Isaiah 60:20. I went back and read the entire chapter. Doing so, it becomes clearly evident that those who ever had cause to mourn, will -- in some great future day-- never have cause to mourn again.

Understanding this also gives pause to lessen the pains of present challenges.

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This brings us to consider one of the great oxymorons of  Christ's teachings:
  • "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
  • "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
So on the one hand Christ teaches to let our light so shine that men may see our good works, and on there hand, he warns us to not do our alms before men to be seen of them. He even goes on in later verses to say: "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth... That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

The condition of the heart and the motivations of our intents is what is being drawn into focus by these verses. It makes me think that there are some things that we ought to do to allow others to see God's light in us. While on the other hand, there are other things that we ought to do secretly, so that no one may know them.

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